pinaywifespeaks

There is a grain of truth in the saying that “You can choose your friends/lovers, but you cannot choose your relatives.” Most of us have that annoying relative that we want to avoid at all costs. But since we are related it is harder to avoid interacting with them. Filipinos specially have very close family ties and it is not rare to find relatives living in the same roof, in a small compound, in the same village and we do like holding reunions and get-together’s with our relatives.

I myself have my share of obnoxious relatives, I really don’t like those overly curious, gossip-hungry relatives. And another one I particularly avoid because she has a penchant for imposing her religious beliefs and standards on most of us. Meeting with her means you will be subjected to an hour or two of lecture on the bible, the saints, the activities of the parish priest, and what I should do to achieve eternal salvation. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in God. I am Catholic, I respect how others believe and worship and I just wish she doesn’t force other’s to worship as she does.

Psst! Time to stop ranting now. The post is actually on tips on how to be nice to your annoying relatives. Why am I writing this? You probably tried a thousand and one ways on how to avoid your “not-so-nice” cousin and you’re at the end of your wits and short of arranging an early funeral for him/her yet you haven’t succeeded so the next best thing to do is to DEAL with it by trying to make your meetings more bearable.

• Try smiling. If you can’t smile genuinely, then fake it. Greet them when you see them and smile. The first time I tried it I felt like my face was covered with mud pack and my husband thought I looked really funny, but the more you try it the better it’ll be.

• Praise them. Oh! This is so hard, but try to squeeze your mind and find something to like about him/her. Be it her fake eyelashes or his tweety bird neck tie, comment on them. Most annoying people likes attention so give it to them in bits and pieces.

• If you wanna avoid being asked too much personal questions, try starting a conversation by asking about the latest in their lives. The key is START THE BALL ROLLING BY ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT THEM. This will give them a chance to air out their stories, express their opinions and this will make them feel good therefore they will not be overly curious about your life.

• Visualize something funny about what they are talking about. Who knows you might end up enjoying yourself, but be careful about showing too much amusement, they might think you are thoroughly enjoying their company, so give it in right doses.

• After a few minutes of listening to them, think about your escape route. A need to help in the kitchen, a need to talk to someone, its up to you. Be creative.

If you have more tips you want to share, please leave a comment. It might be of some use to us..

I’ve been blog hopping again when I dropped by Claudine143’s blog site. Guess what I found something interesting there, so interesting and for me its bordering on amazing! Some might find it disgusting but I am again fascinated by another trend and culture..

There is a new restaurant trend now mushrooming in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The concept? Toilet Dining! The restaurant has decked its interior with toilet bowls standing in for chairs and a sink below the tables. And it doesn’t end there, the food is served in miniature toilet bowls!

I did say in my post title that this is not for the squeamish.. If you’re prone to nausea, or if you can’t stop your brain from being overactive and imagining all sorts of things that should be done on a toilet, then this concept restaurant isn’t for you..

As for me, I’d probably try it out, just to see if I could really swallow the food hmm.. Who knows the food might be yummy.. LOl!

Ever imagine being naked while on a plane? That never crossed my mind so how come I am asking that? I was surfing around and I chanced upon this and I wouldn’t dare pass up posting this.. For those dreaming of traveling in their birthday suits, then your dream won’t be far from reality. Just head over to Germany where a traveling agency is offering the first nudist holiday flights for vacationers who prefers to be al fresco when traveling.

OssiOrlaub.de is holding a trial naked voyage this week which will leave from Erfurt in eastern Germany in July and fly to Usedom, a popular resort town in the Baltic Sea. The 55 passengers will have to stay dressed until they get on board (obviously for security reasons - just imagine if they were naked at the airport hehe) and will have to button up again before disembarking. The crew will be clothed, though for security reasons.

My imagination is now running amok lol! Just imagine, if you spill your coffee then there is nothing to protect you from being scalded and if the flight gets shaky, well cellulites will be extra jiggly. And I sincerely hope they change the seat covers after every flight..

OssiUrlaub isn’t the first to offer naked flights, but is the first in Germany. Naturism, or “free body culture” (FKK) as it is known in Germany, was banned by the Nazis but blossomed again after the Second World War, particularly in eastern Germany.

I’ve nothing against this, I am simply fascinated with different cultures,traditions and new trends and if these people are happy doing this, then let them be.

Photo from nudisttravel.blogspot.com

I loathe packing and my idea of packing is dumping whatever is within my reach with nary a thought if I actually need the thing or not. I usually end up buying a lot of stuff in my destination, which makes me so irritable… well, the money I spent could well go to other things like souvenirs etc. And not only that, my clothes end up so rumpled and who’d want to wear clothes that make you look like you’re just out of bed.

That was then. After some mishaps I’ve finally learned to have some patience with packing and its actually good I experienced those unfortunate things in traveling so now I am more diligent in packing. Funny though it was my husband who taught me the art of packing. He’s so meticulous when it comes to packing and since he travels really often he knows what should be done..I always keep this in mind - “Bring everything you need and make sure its wearable when it gets there.”

Here’s some important reminders when packing for a trip:

• Be organized. Make a list (yes! a list..) Do check out my list below, it might be of some help.

• Roll clothes not fold. This will minimize wrinkles. You can roll three to four pieces together. You can also wrap each bundle in dry cleaning bags.

• Use those small compartments in you luggage. Fill all crevices. Chunky fashion accessories and other small items usually fit in these slots. Your socks could go into your shoes, saves space right?

• Get yourself those small pill/medicine organizers. Great for your medication and buy another one for your small accessories like rings and earrings. That way they would avoid being tangled up and getting lost.

• If you are taking the plane then use the bulkier shoe, and just pack lightweight shoes like sandals and flip flops.

• Have a ready toiletry bag. Tote bags works best. Put your travel friendly makeup, and have some mini-bottles of perfume and lotions. Fill them only up to 2/3 full to prevent leaking especially if your taking the plane where there is air pressure.

• Bring dry cleaning bags. These are very handy in preventing crinkles on your clothes and can be used for soiled clothes packing once your trip is over. if you don’t have dry cleaning bags, clear plastic bags can be used too.

• Make sure you have some identifying marks on a luggage, a ribbon, a large nametag whatever you fancy. A lot of luggages look the same and when people are in a hurry, switching luggages can be a possibility. So make your luggage look distinct.

Here’s my Packing List:

IMPORTANT (stuff you wouldn’t dare forget :P)

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Humans have practically invented all things to get us those physical qualities we think we lack. You have short hair, then get hair extensions. Curly haired? Have it rebonded. Dark skinned, you’ll probably drown with products promising  whiter skin. On the other hand, fair skinned wanting to be darker, they dig tanning products and salons. Fake nails, fake lashes..

Not blessed with a D cup, there’s breast augmentation. The list could go on and on. Man’s obsession in making up for things we don’t have. Innovativeness, creativity, whatever you may call it, but I am really amazed at what people could create.

Here’s one cool thing: Furniture for your feet!

Short folks, want to have the height boost and know how the world looks like if you’re a couple of inches taller? This one’s for the “make me taller” attitude..

Dubbed the “high chair” shoes, these heels feature three scaffolding-like bases to lift its wearer at least 6 inches off the ground.

What do you think? It’s scares me though. I’m on the short side and I love high heels but this one looks scary. I’d feel like walking on stilts instead on heels and if I’m wearing that, expect me to fall flat on my face every minute or so..

To say that the Philippines is a calamity prone area would be an understatement. The country lies within the typhoon belt of Western Pacific and on average we get to have at least 19 typhoons each year. It doesn’t stop there, we are also on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are not rare.

Just recently Typhoon Frank (Fengshen) have wrecked havoc on our country and a capsized ferry leaving some dead, hundreds homeless and others missing. It’s really sad and I hope more would be rescued and I hope to see more survivors.

I grew up in Bicol Region and this area is one of most commonly hit by typhoons. And not only that, the region is also home to two active volcanoes. In my home province, Albay, we have the most active volcano in the Philippnes - Mayon Volcano. So when we have typhoon and continuous raining, lahar and mudflows won’t be far behind.

While the typhoon was ravaging Metro Manila area yesterday it brought back a lot of childhood typhoon memories. When I was less than 5 years old I was so ecstatic whenever I hear that a typhoon is coming. Why? Our place in Bicol has a big lot area with lots of trees, and my dad has lots of banana plants and after typhoon comes all banana trees are down as well as most of the coconut trees and me and my sister would pretend they are bridges and would have our “make-believe” adventures. At that time I didn’t understand the horrors typhoons brings.

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Whenever I get the itch I usually turn our bedroom and living room tupsy turvy ;P meaning arrange it just to give it a different look but usually my husband would rearrange it and he keeps mumbling about good feng shui areas, positions etc. Hi-ace is Chinese and is a follower of feng shui teachings. I am Filipino and I am aware of feng shui and some practices (Philippines is certainly multi-cultural and we had been very influenced by Chinese in the country) but the extent of knowledge about this is superficial and I don’t have in depth know how of its practices and beliefs.

So I’ve been reading on it and researching alot so I’d at least be familiar with what is feng shui. What is feng shui? It’s such a simple question, a seemingly simple term yet it encompasses a wide body of knowledge that it is difficult to answer it. With this post I’ll be trying to explain what is feng shui.

Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It’s a a body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and fortune for the people inhabiting the place.

The term “feng” means wind and “shui” means water. For Chinese, gentle wind and clear water have always been associated with good harvest and good health. Good feng shui means good livelihood and fortune while bad feng shui means hardship and misfortune.
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I couldn’t resist sharing this really fab Cocoa Lip Gloss Recipe by Sherri Osborn. Why? It’ll be some savings on your pocket to make some of your beauty products at home. I’m constantly on the hunt for D-I-Y recipes and natural beautifiers you can mix right at your home.

Materials :

• Powdered Cocoa Mix
• Petroleum Jelly
• Small Container

Instructions:

• Put desired amount of petroleum jelly into a small glass bowl.

• Put it in a microwave for 30 seconds; take it out and stir. Continue doing this until the vaseline is melted.

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